


GHOST

by Vanemis



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, F/M, Fix-It, Kissing, M/M, Spoilers, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 23:16:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18670351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanemis/pseuds/Vanemis
Summary: This contains SPOILERS for EndGame!Steve knew it wouldn't be an easy mission but he hadn't realised how difficult it would be to see a ghost.





	GHOST

**Author's Note:**

> Again... SPOILERS 
> 
> I couldn't contain this anymore. I need more Rumlow content and I just about died during that elevator scene seeing my Hydra bois again!!

Seeing Rumlow again was like a kick to the teeth for Steve. He vaguely remembered seeing the STRIKE commander in the tower that day, barely knew his name or anybody else’s. Way back when everything had been so much simpler, but not necessarily easier. Not with the abrupt transition into this modern world.  

Their eyes met in the elevator but to Rumlow, Steve was just another superior. Just someone else to say ‘yes Sir’ to. They had yet to really meet, to fight alongside each other on countless missions across the world. Rumlow didn’t know about the sparring sessions late at night when they were both too restless to sleep, or the awkward way Steve had asked him out for coffee after Rumlow had knocked Steve on his ass.                                                                    All the arguments because Steve had wanted to make it official and public, something he’d never dared back to do back in his day, and Rumlow had wanted to keep it in the shadows. Steve hadn’t understood why before but looking back on it, perhaps Rumlow had done him a favour. What would the media have thought of Captain America dating a Hydra operative?  

No, Rumlow had no clue what was in store for him. But Steve knew and once he had the briefcase, he asked for Rumlow to assist him. Sitwell said nothing. No one argued with Captain America, Hydra’s favourite son, and Steve was glad he’d been the one sent back to this time. He was the only one who could get away with it. 

“I didn’t know you were one of us, Cap,” Rumlow mumbled in the empty hallway.  

Steve was taking the long route but as long as he had the Tesseract, Tony couldn’t complain. He just needed a moment. When they went past one of Stark’s empty offices, he grabbed Rumlow’s wrist and pulled him inside.  

Deep down, Steve knew he was fucking up this future, that maybe this would come back to bite him or some version of him. Rumlow wasn’t scared, he never was, but there was hesitance in his eyes. 

“What’s going on, Cap?” 

He couldn’t explain any of this. To Rumlow, he’d just kidnapped him for no reason. Steve hadn’t thought any of it through. Hell, he was still wearing his old uniform and he wasn’t supposed to have the knowledge of Hydra or even Rumlow’s first name.  

“I wanted a minute with you. If that’s alright.” 

It didn’t matter if it wasn’t, Steve was leaving soon. Back to a world where his Rumlow was a burnt corpse under a building they’d demolished carelessly. 

“Of course, anything for Captain America-” 

“Steve. Call me Steve.”  

The shock in Rumlow’s eyes was short-lived and he nodded obediently. He was loyal to a fault, right until the moment Hydra stopped being his shield and left him to die. This one was someone Steve could reason with. The one now haunting a Lagos cemetery had been inconsolable. 

“So, what is it, Steve?” 

God, he had hundreds of things to say to him. Steve came closer and put a hand on his shoulder, gentle but firm, and he wished Rumlow would drop the tension and just be the man Steve remembered before it all went to Hell. 

“I want you to be careful. Don’t rely just on Hydra and I’ll always be there when you need me.”  

That was the best Steve could manage without spoiling Rumlow’s future. Maybe there were rules to time-travel despite what Bruce had said, and although his understanding of the whole topic wasn’t on par with Tony, he knew Rumlow should be kept in the dark. 

The hitch in Rumlow’s breath made Steve’s hand climb higher to the side of his neck. Rumlow stood still, never pulling away. 

“I understand,” he said quietly, but he didn’t. Not really. 

Steve smiled fondly, bravely running his thumb along the commander’s sharp jawline like he’d done a thousand times. It never failed to make Rumlow melt just a little and no amount of training could reinforce him against having his face and neck touched. It was cute and Steve remembered how he’d reacted the first time he ran his knuckles over his cheek, and Rumlow had gone bright red and hidden his face in the pillow. This Rumlow wasn’t sure how Steve knew or if it had been accidental, but he reacted nonetheless. 

“You take care of yourself,” Steve added, willing his feet to move because any moment now Tony was going to yell in his ear and berate him on his lateness. He found himself frozen in place. 

“Yes, Sir.” 

This was Steve’s only chance. The last time he would ever see Rumlow alive again. His hand moved to cup the back of Rumlow’s head and Steve brought him closer into a soft kiss. Rumlow gasped in surprise but let it happen, cautiously grabbing Steve’s hips as he kissed back. He always led the way, always so dominant and tough that it took an ungodly amount of time for Steve to convince him to kiss more gently.  

This time, he wasn’t so rough. He let Steve choose their pace and he melted into it, enjoying the random moment for what it was worth. Steve almost wished Rumlow would yank a handful of his hair and wrestle him to the ground and take control. It was just more proof that Steve didn’t belong here, in this moment.  

When he pulled back, he left a chaste kiss and stepped back. Rumlow was a little dishevelled but Steve looked worse, with his cheeks flushed red and his hands yearning to grab Rumlow again. He settled for holding his cheek in his palm and watching Rumlow’s eyes soften.  

“I need to go.” Steve grabbed the briefcase and went for the door.  

“What does any of this mean?”  

“It means you should buy me coffee one of these days.” 

Rumlow crossed his arms and flashed a sharp grin. “Is that so? I owe you for that kiss?” 

“Consider it a beginning.” Before Steve left, he turned back and his own smile was gone. “I know about Bucky.” 

Steve saw the way Rumlow lost all confidence in an instant and went on the defensive, and wished more than anything that he wasn’t as torn up between his best friend and a man caught on the wrong side of history.   

“Do what you have to do to survive, but please be kind to him. He doesn’t deserve any of this. He needs help and... just take care of him.” 

Rumlow barely relaxed and his nod was stiff. “I will. Rollins and I already do what we can but I can try harder.”  

“Good. Thank you. And one more thing, if you get a job offer in Lagos- turn it down.” 

The confusion on Rumlow’s face made Steve smile sadly and he took one last look at his ex before he left down to the lobby. Tony was waiting impatiently for him. 

“What took you so long?” 

“Saying goodbye to an old friend,” Steve answered simply, passing on the case. 

 

\--- 

 

Despite Peggy’s deteriorating health and how frail she was these days, it didn’t stop her from walking around the parks of Washington DC to her meetings like she was in her twenties again. Her work never ended and retiring from SHIELD wasn’t quite an option.  

Steve accompanied her everywhere he could as he walked around the memorial, vaguely remembering a time when he’d jogged there before the sun rose. He found himself just enjoying the warmth of the sun on the park bench instead. 

It was early morning and nothing could shake off his training, so he was up with Peggy. She was reading from a file before her meeting with Fury, glasses perched on her nose- something about a Hydra base trying to start trouble. SHIELD would shut it down quick but Peggy deserved more than a simple case. Even if at her age, she couldn’t run in guns blazing anymore. Steve still had it in him, the serum would keep him alive for a lot longer, but he was happy with a quiet life too. Even if he couldn’t involve himself with his friends’ ventures, the younger him was still out there. 

The view was so wonderful and it was almost empty, with no tourists up so early in the day. The water reflected the few clouds drifting above and the trees were sighing in the gentle breeze. He almost missed the young man running along the length of the memorial.  

Sam.  

He hadn’t seen him in a lifetime. But the younger him was about to meet him. He saw himself running up behind but he wasn’t alone. Rumlow was trying his best to keep up, struggling much like Sam, and Steve realised they’d already met.  

Rumlow fell back as Sam was patting his back with a tired grin and they all watched Steve sprint off without a care. The ex-soldiers stopped and rested on the edge of the memorial, and after five minutes, Steve was back again. He could hear their laughter from the bench. 

Peggy was too busy to notice them and she’d managed to stay away from the younger Steve since he’d been found in the ice. It had taken a lot of explanation but in the end, she moved forward.  

As Steve watched himself interact with his friends, he was very glad Peggy was looking away. Whatever had convinced Rumlow to kiss Steve in public must have been ground-breaking. He smiled to himself, glad he hadn’t fucked up his future too much. 


End file.
